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Sunday, November 28, 2004

Artist's Websites

Don Crow has some excellent work on view at Reynolds Gallery until December 23rd, and though I plan to post about it soon, I'm afraid I won't be able to share any images. The gallery doesn't have a website and I can't find any images - or much information at all - for Crow on the internet.

It seems that most of my "older than thirty-five" artist friends don't have any web presence, and that most of the younger artists do. I know more than a few young artists who have yet to even form a body of work - yet have well-designed websites full of photoshopped digital images, resumes, and listings of inflated accomplishments. These kids are getting their work seen all over the country before the old-schoolers can lick a stamp. Following are some of the various ways an artist can get his work on-line, please pass this information along to your artist friends who are missing the boat and being overlooked.

Slide RegistriesI think most larger cities have slide registries available for artists to join, many of them on-line. Philadelphians can submit work to Moore College of Art's on-line Levy Gallery Slide Registry. Following are two NYC slide registries open to all.

Artist's Space - the Artist's Space slide registry has no limit to the number of slides an artist can submit, and every artist who submits to the registry can have two works included in the on-line registry. As far as I can tell, this registry is not juried. You submit, you're in.

White Columns - the White Columns registry is juried and thus more competitive than Artist's Space, you must submit slides to be considered for review by the director. This registry is only open to artists without NYC gallery representation.

Group Sites (not sure what to call this heading exactly, so I'll call it Group Sites)

The following sites are open to all, for a reasonable fee.

Re-title.com - this new DIY site is good because of the amount of control offered. You have a choice of three different templates and you can re-edit and modify your page as often as you like. I guess you could update your texts and images every day. The site isn't juried but does claim to monitor for quality control. I haven't looked at every artist but have already found two friends and two friendsters included. Please visit their pages for example - I think all four of them also include links to their personal websites.

InLiquid.com - a Philadelphia based nonprofit organization, this is the site I am included on and have been very happy with. Most of the artists on here live in Philadelphia, and their weekly e-mail newsletter ( I don't think you need to be a member to subscribe) is full of information on Philadelphia area openings, lectures, and opportunities. I've been asked to be in three Philadelphia shows this year through this site, including my current exhibition, which features InLiquid artists only. This is a juried site which reviews membership applications three times a year. Please visit the following examples.

Formerly known as vanity sites, personal websites are de rigeur with today's young artists skilled in the arts of surreptitious self-promotion. Following are the sites of some friends who also make good work.